Can my landlord evict me in Sharjah?

Under Law 5/2024, landlords in Sharjah cannot evict residential tenants for the first 3 years of the tenancy (5 years for commercial). After this period, eviction requires valid grounds and proper notice.

Can my landlord increase rent in Sharjah?

No rent increase is allowed for the first 3 years of a lease in Sharjah. After the 3-year freeze, increases are only permitted once every 2 years and must reflect fair market value.

Is subletting allowed in Sharjah?

No. Under Law 5/2024, subletting is strictly prohibited in Sharjah in all cases, even with landlord consent. This is stricter than Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Tenant Rights in Sharjah: Complete Guide to Law 5/2024

Sharjah introduced Law No. 5 of 2024 in September 2024, replacing the previous Law 2/2007. The new law provides some of the strongest tenant protections in the UAE.

3-Year Eviction Protection

This is the headline feature of Law 5/2024:

Residential tenants: Cannot be evicted for the first 3 years of the tenancy
Commercial tenants: Cannot be evicted for the first 5 years
The protection period starts from the date of the original lease
Even at renewal, the landlord cannot refuse to renew during this period

3-Year Rent Freeze

Paired with the eviction protection:

No rent increase is permitted for the first 3 years of a lease
After the freeze period, increases are allowed only once every 2 years
Post-freeze increases must reflect fair market value

Subletting: Strictly Prohibited

Unlike Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Sharjah completely prohibits subletting — even with landlord consent. If caught subletting, you face immediate eviction.

Contract Registration

All tenancy contracts must be registered with Sharjah Municipality within 15 days of signing. This is stricter than Dubai and Abu Dhabi's registration requirements.

Non-Payment Grace Period

Sharjah has a 15-day grace period for unpaid rent (compared to 30 days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi). After 15 days of written notice, the landlord can file for eviction.

Filing Disputes in Sharjah

Disputes are handled by the Sharjah Rental Dispute Committee (RDC):

File through Sharjah Municipality
Bring your registered contract, evidence, and identification
Send a formal notice first — use our notice generator

Key Differences from Dubai

Feature	Sharjah	Dubai
Eviction protection	3 years	Contract duration only
Rent freeze	3 years	None (RERA tiers apply)
Subletting	Strictly prohibited	With written consent
Registration deadline	15 days	No strict deadline
Non-payment grace	15 days	30 days

Related Resources

Sharjah Rent Freeze Rules Explained
Tenant Rights in Dubai (comparison)
Subletting Rules Across the UAE
Ask Our AI Rights Assistant about Sharjah tenancy law